5.01111111111100% 1

Hearts 1-1 Benfica: Magnusson screamer canceled out by Lukebakio (full match highlights)

Tynecastle Park played host to a spirited second leg on 13 August 2026, as Hearts welcomed Benfica with a mountain to climb after a 6-1 thrashing in Lisbon the previous week. The hosts, managed by Wouter Vrancken, produced a determined display that restored some European pride, even though the aggregate deficit proved insurmountable. The first half was a tense affair with chances at both ends: Jhon Durán twice tested the Hearts defence, and Amar Dedić's header crashed against the crossbar following a goalmouth scramble. Hearts thought they had taken the lead on 64 minutes when Calvin Miller found the net, but VAR intervened and correctly ruled it out for offside after a lengthy review. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 77th minute, and it was worth the wait. Substitute Tomas Magnusson, with virtually his first touch, unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards that flew into the top corner, leaving Samuel Soares with no chance and sending the home fans into raptures. Yet the celebrations were brutally cut short just sixty seconds later. Dodi Lukebakio, the Belgian winger who had been relatively quiet all night, picked up the ball on the edge of the area, cut inside onto his right foot, and curled a precise effort into the far corner to make it 1-1. That equalizer effectively killed off any faint hope of a miraculous comeback, with Benfica advancing 7-2 on aggregate. Hearts boss Wouter Vrancken praised his side's resilience and fighting spirit, insisting they had restored some pride after the first-leg disaster. His Benfica counterpart, Marco Silva, admitted his team had taken their foot off the gas in the second period but remained satisfied with the job done. The Jambos now drop into the Europa Conference League playoff round, where a date with Rapid Vienna awaits. Can Hearts carry this battling performance into that crucial tie and secure a group-stage berth?

OtherMenFootball
29